Agnes and Her Amazing Orchid: How Vanda Miss Joaquim Became Singapore’s National Flower

• A historical story all Singaporean children should know • 2018 is the 125th anniversary of the naming of the Vanda Miss Joaquim (Singapore Post and Mint to commemorate) • Highlights Singapore history, Armenians’ important role in history and the birth of the National Flower

Description

In the 1800s, a girl named Agnes Joaquim was passionate about plants. She even learned to grow cool-weather European vegetables in the tropical heat of Singapore. As she grew up, she collected many prizes for her plants. One day, after many trials and difficulty, she created a brand-new orchid. She showed it to an orchid expert named Henry Ridley, who officially named the flower the Vanda Miss Joaquim. This is the story of how one woman’s ingenuity and determination created a flower that became world famous...and Singapore’s National Flower in 1981.